


A Mad Man and a Flower Crown

by bfrogger



Category: Mad Max Fury road, Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: AU Where Nux Lives, Angst, M/M, Max Comes Back, Max Rockatansky Comes Back To The Citadel, Nux Lives, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slit Lives, Some war boy myth, The Ace lives, War Boy Culture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-12 16:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4486248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bfrogger/pseuds/bfrogger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Response to prompt (http://tumblinglringlring.tumblr.com/post/125708947904/i-had-a-prompt-dont-know-if-youre-still-taking).</p>
<p>This is an AU where everything is the same, except Nux lives.</p>
<p>After the events on the fury road, Max had returned to the wasteland, still searching for his better self.  He still made periodic visits to the Citadel to check up on the progress of Furiosa and the Wives, always making sure that they had enough supplies and that the war boys were staying in line.   Nux always looked forward to his visit, since Max had a habit of bringing back gifts for them.  They were always small, useful things, but were much appreciated by everyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Mad Man and a Flower Crown

After the events on the fury road, Max had returned to the wasteland, still searching for his better self. He still made periodic visits to the Citadel to check up on the progress of Furiosa and the Wives, always making sure that they had enough supplies and that the war boys were staying in line. Nux always looked forward to his visit, since Max had a habit of bringing back gifts for them. They were always small, useful things, but were much appreciated by everyone. 

It always took a while for Max to readjust their company, whatever horrors he had seen in the wasteland continued to haunt him for days afterwards. Sometimes the wives would cook him a meal and tell him stories about their new life, other times they knew he needed quiet and let him sit in his room until he was ready to rejoin them. However, Max had been getting worse after each return, sometimes walling himself off to their questions and sitting in his room for hours on end. It seemed every time he came for a visit he would sit in his room longer and longer and even after rejoining them, he still had a faraway look in his eye. Lately, Max had taken to lurking around the many caves the war boys used to fix their vehicles, inspecting their handiwork. Sometimes, Max would come over and watch Nux work, occasionally helping him tune and fix and his car. As he worked, Nux had started to take to himself, more for Max’s benefit than his, and would occasionally ask him questions to try and draw him into a conversation. Slowly, Max would start to respond with grunts and then eventually a few words and sentences. Soon, Max would be grunting and mumbling over the engine right alongside Nux, occasionally rubbing the back of Nux’s head for a job well done. However, Max seemed to progressively get worse and worse.

Worried about his friend, Nux sought the advice of Capable, knowing if anyone was able to help him it would be her. Not so long ago, the fiery red head had pulled him out of the grasp of Immortan Joe. She had saved and he knew she could help him save Max from his own demons. He had visited her in the pups den where she now worked, trying to caring and educating the young boys. She was tending to an injured pup, who was bawling in her lap as she inspected his finger. “What do you think Max needs?” Nux asked her, drawing her attention away from the injured pup.

“Max is complicated,” Capable said as she bit her lip, “He needs love and human contact.” They both knew Max would not agree to stay with them permanently, not in his current condition. Whenever they thought he was warming up to the idea, they would always find a note on his bed the next day saying he would see them again sometime in the future. Nux had begged to go with him several times, but Max had always insisted he stay. 

“The wives need you here,” Max had told him as he rubbed the back of Nux’s head, “Someone has to help train the new recruits.” Max had turned to go, but Nux grabbed his arm holding him back. “You could help train them, we need you here too,” Nux had pleaded with him, but Max was firm. He would return soon enough. Nux had watched him get in his Interceptor and race off into the wasteland until he was nothing but a speck on the horizon.

“What if I made him something?” Nux asked Capable as he looked through a few of the pictures books on the ground, “Something he could use when he’s out on the wasteland.” Max was always bringing them useful gifts; it was only fair that he should get some too, Nux just needed to find the perfect gift. “He only takes the supplies he needs,” Capable sighed, “He refuses anything else.” She returned her attention to the young war pup, who was now whimpering and holding his injured finger out towards her. As she started bandaging the boy’s finger, she tried to think of another idea but grew frustrated when she came up empty handed. 

“I don’t know Nux,” She sighed as she finished wrapping the boy’s finger, “He’ll come back soon enough and you can ask him then.” Satisfied with the bandage, she turned towards Nux but paused when she saw he had already gone. Shrugging, she picked up the picture book and returned to her lesson, “Now this one is a tree, see how it’s much taller and…”

Running through the tunnels, Nux was headed to the green room where they grew all their crops. As he reached the room, he saw the Dag walking through the rows of crops with a watering can in her hand, inspecting each crop to see if it could use an extra drink. She turned toward him as he walked up to her. 

“Do you have any small tree things?” Nux asked as he looked around, trying to find what he was looking for. “Do you mean a bush?” The Dag questioned as she pointed to one of the smaller bushes in the corner. “No, much smaller,” Nux said, his hands only a foot apart, “About that big. It has a few colorful leaves with a big yellow sun in the middle.” 

Frowning, the Dag replied, “You mean flowers.” Nodding his head, as he continued, “Yes, flowers. Do you have some?” 

Shaking her head, “We only have food bearing crops and the ones that do produce flowers aren’t in season yet.” Nux’s shoulders slumped in defeat, where would he get flowers now?

“Why do you want them?” The Dag asked as she put her arms around Nux in an attempt to sooth the war boy. “I was going to use them for a gift,” Nux sniffed, “For Max.” 

Trying to think of another idea, the Dag suddenly pushed them apart and stared excitedly upward at Nux, “Do they have to be real flowers?” Wiping his nose on his arm Nux scoffed, “Are there any other kinds?” She grabbed his hand, startling him and took him to through the tunnels towards her old prison where the Immortan and kept his wives. “We used to make art for the Immortan in the biodome,” she shouted as they ran through the tunnels, “Miss Giddy taught us how to make flowers out of paper, we use to decorate the Immortan’s room with them!” Confused, Nux could only follow behind her until they reached the biodome. She guided them to a box on one of the shelves and opened up, showing Nux the contents inside. 

“It’s just wired and paper,” He sighed, cautiously taking out one of the pieces of colorful paper out, “Soft paper, not as soft as fabric, but soft.” He took it out and rubbed it to his face. Rolling her eyes, the Dag took the piece of paper out of Nux hands and grabbed another out of the box.

“You can use it to make flowers, see?” She said as she placed the pieces of paper on top of each other, took one of the edges and folded it inward an inch. She then flipped it around the other side and folded it inward an inch again. The Dag continued until the paper was completely folded and it resembled a flattened spring. She placed a piece of wire at its center and tied it around the paper. As she started to open up the paper around the wire, it started to resemble a flower. Handing it over to Nux, his eyes opened wide, “Can you teach me how to do that?” The Dag laughed and started showing Nux how to make the paper flower. Once Nux had gotten the hang of it, the Dag gave him a pat on the head and left him to continue his project. Soon, the ground was littered in paper flowers of all sizes, shapes and colors.

Gathering up the flowers around him, Nux was almost done with his project, he only needed to weave them together. In Capable’s book, he had a seen a woman with wings, surrounded a sparkling staff wearing a crown made of flowers, surrounded by trees and flowers. Thinking it looked very shiny and chrome, Nux decided to weave paper flowers together into a crown. It took him several tries and few wire cuts to his head from sizing it, but eventually Nux was finished. He knew once Max saw how chrome it was, he couldn’t help but smile. Grinning to himself, Nux gathered up the rest of flowers, as a shiny idea popped into his brain. He knew just the place for the rest of these flowers, hopefully his lancer would understand. Chuckling to himself, he carried the flowers and crown out of the biodome and headed back into the tunnels.

Several days had passed before one of the lookouts had spotted Max’s car in the distance. As Nux scrambled through the tunnels, trying to get the flower crown from his room, he could hear the war boys cheering Max’s name as they lift up both car and driver. Finally getting to his room, Nux carefully took out the flower crown, hiding it behind him as he made his way back up to greet Max with the others. Right as he arrived, Max had stepped onto the landing, looking around him uneasily as the others started fusing over him. Max looked worse this time, his jeans and jacket were torn around his many wounds, some still bleeding. Trying to snap out of it, Nux shook his head and went up to the man with the flower crown behind his back. 

“I made you something, a gift,” Nux grinned as he pulled the flower crown out from behind him, causing Max to twitch backwards instinctively. The wives stepped back, giving Max his space and hoping for the best, but Nux continued forward closing the distance between them. “I thought you could use something to cheer you up,” Nux continued as he handed the flower crown to Max and waited for his reaction.

Max’s flickered back and forth between the flower crown and Nux, unable to process what the offering meant. Noticing Max’s confusion, Nux went and moved the crown onto Max’s head, causing him to visible tense. Stepping back, Nux admired his work, while Max slowly started opening his eyes, looking around the room as the wives tried to hide their smiles and laughter. Curious, Max spun around and saw his reflection in the Interceptor’s window. After a few moments, a faint smile reached his lips as he turned around to face Nux and grunted in what appeared to be approval. Taking on last look in the reflection, Max turned around and rubbed Nux’s head. “Show me what you’ve done with your car,” Max mumbled as he started to head into the tunnels. Smiling, Nux followed him, he couldn’t wait to see Max’s reaction when he saw Nux’s car covered in the paper flowers.


	2. A War Boy And His Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two. 
> 
> Max reflects on past events and gives Nux a gift

To the west, the blazing sun was sinking lower on the horizon while bright oranges and reds burst forth from it, causing the desert sand to glow orange. The sky looked as if it were on fire, the billowy clouds now flames of yellow and red consuming any blue left and burning it a blood red. Max squinted his eyes. It looked like the wasteland was one fire, the sky full of blood and flame. To him, this is how the world looked to him all the time. Suddenly, an image of the war rig turning over, bursting into flames around its driver, Nux, whose darkened eyes and scarred mouth made him look like a skeleton now more than ever. Gasping in shock, Max took a step back before another image burst forth. Now Nux was entirely consumed by the flames as the war rig exploded and Max’s vision went red. 

Shaking his head, as if to free himself from these memories, Max grabbed a hold of the rocky railing, closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. It had been a miracle that Nux survived the crash. When they pulled him from the wreckage, he had several burns and deep lacerations, not to mention a numerous broken bones, but he had pulled through. He survived. Nux the Uncrackable, Max snorted, he was aptly named. 

Opening his eyes, he could see the sun was lower and that the fiery sky was starting to give way to the dark blues and purples of night from the east. Soon, only the sun, with streaks of light yellow and red, would be visible. Eventually, it would be completely dark at least until the sun rose again and the cycle repeated itself. It reminded Max of the story Nux told him while he was recovering from the accident. Nux had told him he knew that he would survive the crash and that he would ‘live again’ just like the sun. Confused, Max had only looked it at him. He remembered hearing about the tale of the sun and Valhalla, but he never paid any attention to it. 

As Nux lay there, he told Max the Lesson of the Sun that was told to all the war boys when they were pups. Each day the sun would rise, lighting up the desert, mercilessly beating down upon those under it. How it can burn those who stand under its gaze for too long, it can burn water and crack the ground. At its prime, where it is highest in the sky, it is at its strongest. Nothing can beat it, not dust storms nor clouds could hide it forever. Eventually, it will pierce through anything in its path. However, even the sun must set, but as its time approaches each day, it does not go out with a whisper, but in a fiery blaze of glory. Even as it dies, it lives again, because the next day it will rise out of the desert to resume its assault on the world.

Since they were pups, war boys were told to be like the sun, to be strong and powerful and slay their enemies. Then, when it is their time to die, they must die historic in a blaze of glory if they are to live again. It is said that if they do, as they ride to Valhalla they must try and grab the sun. If they are successful, they become the tiny white fires in the night sky, continuing the battle of the sun, forever riding the roads in Valhalla.

 

Now the sun had completely set, the sun had relinquished its reign on the earth for the time being and the night sky was full of those long gone war boys riding in Valhalla. Chuckling to himself, Max new the story was complete bullshit, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell that to Nux, who had told the story with such a boy like wonder that it had moved Max. It always managed to shock him, how Nux, this war boy whose life had been full of pain, blood and death, could still show such vulnerability and innocence. 

As the wind picked up, to his left he heard the rustle of his paper flower crown and glanced over to its resting place on the rocky ledge. It had been a few weeks since he returned to the Citadel and the war boy had given him that absurd gift. After Nux put it on his head and he saw his reflection, he couldn’t help but love it. In a world gone mad, where men wore guns, bullets grenades, knifes, bones and the skins of their loved ones, a crown of flowers was a nice change. For so long he had worn the pain of losing his loved ones, for so long he had worn the despair of never righting the wrongs he had done. But when he wore that flower crown, he was able to forget all that, if just for a moment. 

Laughing, he remembered how Nux had put the left over flowers all of his car and how proud he was of it. However, after a few rides out into the wasteland the paper flowers were all but torn off, the paper shredded and gone, while the wire stems remained. Looking over his flower crown, Max noticed that several of the paper petals were shredded too, most likely due to dust and wear and tear. While Nux had already promised to make him more, Max knew that nothing beautiful lasted long in the wasteland.

Turning around, Max reached on top of the opening of the tunnel where he had hidden a large wrapped gift for Nux. He had wanted to give him something beautiful that not even the wasteland could tarnish. Leaning against the opening of the tunnel, he slowly unwrapped the gift, revealing the several shiny metal flowers. It had taken Max a long time to get the technique right (and several burns), but finally he had made him a bouquet of flowers that would withstand anything. Turning them over, he watched as the starlight glinted of the flowers. Some of the flowers were silver, with petals of blues, yellows and oranges. The Ace had shown him how to overheat metals in such a way that it discolored them, while it tended to deform the metal a bit Max still thought they were beautiful.

He picked one up and brought the flower to his nose and sniffed. Smiling at the familiar sent of grease, oil and metal, it reminded him of Nux. As he turned to go, Max rewrapped his gift and put it behind his back, much like Nux did when he gave Max the flower crown. Humming to himself, put his flower crown on his head and headed towards the garage. However as walked he started to feel a mixture of emotions – some he recognized and some he didn’t. While he was very excited to see Nux, he was also nervous and…something else he couldn’t quite place. Confusion spread across his face as puzzled over these emerging emotions. 

Why was he nervous about giving his gift to Nux? He wasn’t afraid of Nux or giving gifts, he’s given gifts to him before, but why did he feel that way? Why did he want to desperately see Nux’s eyes light up? Why did he want to put a smile on Nux’s face so much? 

Brooding over these questions, Max did not realize that his face was screwed into a grimace, his posture was tense and his eyes were like daggers as he stomped down the tunnels. War boys were leaping out of his path, trying to avoid his gaze. Still consumed by these questions, he didn’t realize that he was standing in front of Nux’s car as while the driver was bent over under the hood of the car.

Staring at the war boy’s backside, Max could feel a slight blush creep over the back of his neck and into his cheeks. His eyes were still on Nux’s butt, when Nux suddenly stood up and turned back around. Shaking his head, Max quickly looked up at Nux and was sure his blush was deepening. Smirking, Nux cleaned off the grease from his hands with stained rag and through it over his shoulder.

“Didn’t think I’d see you today,” Nux coughed trying to get the soot from his lungs, “Want to see what I did with the engine?” He started to walk towards Max but frowned when he noticed how tense the man was. “Everything ok?” He asked, concerned etched in his voice.

Wide eyed, Max shifted his weight and mumbled back an unintelligible response. “Sorry mate, you’re going to have to speak up,” Nux laughed as he closed the distance between them. As Nux got closer, panic set in and Max straightened his posture and resumed his intense stare. Why was this so difficult for him? 

Putting a hand on Max’s shoulder, Nux tried to calm him down, “Do you want to talk about something?” His eyes searched Max’s face for any visible cues that could tell him what was going on.

“I made you a gift,” Max mumbled while he pushed his gift at Nux’s chest. Surprised, Nux looked down at the wrapped present and back up at Max, excitement in his eyes. 

“Really?” Nux grinned, “Thanks mate! You’re the chromest!” He pulled Max forward into a hug, before he started to unwrap the present. Still uneasy, Max watched Nux unwrap his gift and anxiously waited for his reaction. 

“I bet it’s something for the car, right?” Nux exclaimed as he continued to unwrap it, “I bet-“ He paused as he looked down at the shiny metal flowers, his face full of wonder. Looking back up at Max, he was about to say something when Max interrupted him.

“Figured you should have flowers that stay chrome,” Max grunted, “Just like yo-“ Before Max could finish his sentence, Nux had leaned forward and kissed him. Surprised, Max could just stand there as he felt the heat grow between his legs. When Nux released him, he smiled back at him and continued, “I’m going to go show Slit he’ll-” As Nux turned to go, Max grabbed his arm and swung him around, kissing him deeper this time. Wrapping his arms around Max, Nux kissed him back.

“Oi! Don’t you two dare do it in the car,” Slit yelled at them from across the garage, “Get a room!” Still kissing Nux, Max gave the lancer a sidewise glance and lifted his middle finger at Slit. The couple could hear Slit’s footsteps fade away and once they knew they were alone, they released each other.

“Wanna help me put these over the car?” Nux asked as he lightly kissed Max’s jawline. Grunting his agreement as they walked over to the car, Max rubbed the back of Nux’s head. “Show me what you did to the car.” He kissed Nux’s forehead lightly, while the war boy ran ahead to prop open the hood. Grinning, Max followed him and for hours the two talked well into the night about cars and engines and modifications. They talked about the wasteland and the adventures that they had been on, both separate and together. That night, the two fell asleep cuddled in the back of Nux’s car and for the first time, in a long time, Max felt that he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long? Life as been weird? Probs going to do at least another chapter and maybe another short fic that is not going to take place in the same timeline as this one.
> 
> Check it out on tumblr (reblogged as a comment from chapter 1 of this series).  
> http://tumblinglringlring.tumblr.com/post/125708947904/i-had-a-prompt-dont-know-if-youre-still-taking


	3. A Mad Man and His Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has been at the Citadel 3 weeks and he's starting to have second thoughts

A clap of thunder echoed off the cave walls, the flash of lightning briefly illuminating the rows of sick war boys and their blood bags. In the light, they look liked pale skeletons. Max hung from the ceiling by his ankles, strained against his restraints despite to escape before the Mechanic came back for another transfusion. The more he shook, the more the chains rattled, their sound like fingernails against a chalkboard to his ears. 

Boom CRASH. 

Another flash, this time those pale skeletons were looking towards him with eyes so sunken and dark they were more like bottomless pits. Unnerved, Max tried harder to wiggle his hands out of the handcuffs. He had to get out, before they got him. 

Boom CRASH. 

Now they were closer, he could practically smell death on them. Their skin a sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh and white powder. Trying not to gag, Max tried twisting and tugging his hands out, but it was futile. He could feel the blood start dripping from his wrists with the effort. 

Boom CRASH. 

They were all over him, their hands grabbing at him, tearing him this way and that. He could hear the roar of the engines near by, the sound of war boys screaming their war cry as they raced across the scorching desert. The sound of metal on metal, the sound of the war boys hammering away on their death cars decorated in the body parts of those they vanquished. Max could hear nothing else and screamed in frustration, his echo bouncing off the cave walls. No matter how much he fought, he couldn't stop the hands from grabbing, the smell of death, the sounds of hell. He thought he would go insane, until he heard one sound rise above the rest. A guttural sound, that could only say, 

"Where were you?" 

Looking down, the pale hands parted revealing the girl's face, Hope's face, only this time more deteriorated, more hateful. 

Boom CRASH. 

No. It wasn't the girl's face deteriorating, it was Nux's. Bile rose to the back of Max's throat, he knew he should look away but he couldn't take his eyes off those icy blue eyes staring up at him. "Where were you Max?!" Nux shrieked. The sound of metal banging started to get louder and louder as the war continued to tear him apart. "How could you leave?" Max stared in horror as the face flashed between Hope's and Nux's with the rhythm of the pounding. Pounding. POUNDING. Max wanted this to stop, but it was hopefulness. There was no escape from this hell. In defeat, Max closed his eyes as the sound of pounding metal got louder and Louder and LOUDER until- 

Boom CRASH. 

Max awoke with a start, sweat dripping off of him as he desperately looked around at the room – his room he remembered. As he slowly got his bearings, he looked over to find his door on the floor of his room with Nux on top of it, giving him a sheepish grin.  
"Sorry about your door, you were making weird noises and you weren't answering," Nux started as he picked himself up off the floor. "I was worried about you!" 

"Noise is still a response," Max grumbled as he sat up and whipped the sweat from his face. Still shaken from his nightmare, Max started getting out of bed only to have Nux pounce him effectively pinning him down. 

"You had another nightmare didn't ya?" Nux questioned, concern etched into this expression, "You can tell me about if it you like." Max hadn't been able to stare Nux in the face since waking, he could feel the icy blue eyes from his dream still hanging at the back of his mind. Sparing a glance upward at the young man, he could see Nux's eyes weren't anything like his dream. They were warm and inviting like the blue open sky in the early morning out on the desert. For a moment, Max was tempted to tell Nux everything about the dream, about what he feared most coming from the war boy's lips. 

No. Now wasn't the time. 

Ashamed, Max turned to the side and mumbled at Nux to get off him. Nux sighed, and flopped down next the man. "It's fine if you don't want to talk to me about it," He said as he nuzzled Max's chest, "But just know that I’m here for you, we all are. If there's anything we can do..." 

Max turned back toward Nux, forcing himself to hold his gaze, his mouth dry from the nightmare and words escaped him. He could easily get lost in those baby blues, they were bottomless and yet warm. Breaking his gaze, Max rubbed the war boy's pale bald head. Smiling, Nux gave him a peck on his chest and nuzzled closer and sighed contently. Soon the war boy had drifted off to sleep, leaving Max alone with his thoughts. 

He had been at the Citadel for almost 3 weeks now, a personal record for him. It hadn't been bad at first, it never was, but after a week or two the memories he tried keeping at bay would flood over the mental barriers he would put up. Memories of his time out in the wasteland, of those he lost, of blood bags and sick war boys more dead than alive, of fiery storms with and the screams of those dying for Valhalla, of Angharad rolling beneath the Immortan's tires, of the war rig bursting into flames with Nux still inside, turning over and- 

No. Closing his eyes, Max tried to control his breathing and started to lightly trace designs on Nux's head. 

Deep breath in. 

He could see the war rig turning over, flames bursting from all sides as the car after car crash behind it. He could still make out Nux's face in his side mirror, he couldn't look away from those eyes. 

Hold it. 

Eventually the fire consumed the rig and Nux completely and all he could see was a raging inferno. 

Breathe out. 

Max had turned back to the road, there was no time to check for survivors, they had to get back to the Citadel before the rest of the crew caught up to them. He couldn't bare going up on the lift with Furiosa and the Wives. He had let Angharad die. He had let Nux die. There was no way he could face them after that, so Max left and lost himself in the wasteland for a bit. 

More than a month had passed before he had stumbled on the cliffs of the Citadel. Still unable to bring himself to go near, he had circled them for a few days until finally biting the bullet and racing straight towards it before he could change his mind. The women were happy to see him of course and showed him their progress with the garden and the renovations, while small, was still something to proud of. It wasn't until Capable showed him the new sick bay did he almost lose it. There was Nux, asleep but hooked up to a fellow war boy and suddenly Max was back in that cave hanging from chains as the organic drained him of blood. Shocked, Max turned and immediately left the Citadel. He didn't return for several days and then only to stay long enough to make sure Nux was alright and help the women with small repairs. 

Turning to the sleeping war boy, Max kissed Nux's head lightly, causing him to smile and draw closer to him. He could never understand how the war boy could be so friendly to him, to grow to like and possibly even love him. Especially after he had left Nux to die out on the desert floor. Alone. Or how Max left him while he was healing and wasn't there for him at all, not even to hold his hand or sit by his bedside. Several times Max had thought to ask the war boy these questions, but he wasn't sure he could bare to hear their answer. 

Growing more uncomfortable with these thoughts, Max decided that it was time for him to leave. Slowly, he disentangled himself from the sleeping war boy and rubbed his head once more, ending it with a lingering kiss. Silently, Max gathered his few things and put them in his backpack. He was halfway out the door when he paused, wanting one last look at Nux. He knew if he did, he would crawl back into that bed and never leave, so instead Max readjusted his backpack and slowly closed the door. Avoiding the busiest tunnels, Max was eventually able to reach his car and get it on one of the lifts. As the it lowered, he looked up at the Citadel. This is how he wanted to remember it. The sun baking its stone walls, giving it a slight glow, the trees on top overhanging it's peak, the bright blue sky behind it. Saddened, he looked back down and pinched the bridge of his nose. Trying to focus on his breathing, he looked back up but noticed a figure in one of the windows, Furiosa he was sure. Giving her a slight nod, he could've sworn he saw her do the same before she turned and disappeared behind the walls. 

Maybe she knew this is the last time she would see him. 

With a thud, the lift hit the desert floor causing the yellow sand to swirl around him. Looking around, he didn't see anything for miles it was nothing but wasteland. Quickly, he got in this car and stomped on the accelerator, causing the wheels to spin before they grabbed hold of metal and shot the car forward into an unknown direction. Bring the car back into control, Max guided the Interceptor around the many dunes and other obstructions Furiosa designed until he was on more stable ground. 

As Max raced away from the Citadel, he couldn't help glancing at his mirrors for a sand cloud that could be following his tracks. And maybe, if he looked long enough, he would see a car in his rear view mirror with that war boy with the baby blues behind the wheel. If anybody could catch him, it was Nux. With that thought, Max revved his engine and shot forward with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I moved  
> -\\(''/)/-
> 
> Sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes. I might be slightly drunk when editing.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm combing this prompt with another one, so yes you guys will get your first kiss between Nux and Max in the next chapter.


End file.
